Falling Star
by ForgottenWhispersxo
Summary: (Inspired by the novel Stardust / Gajevy Week: Bonus Prompt - AU). On yet another eve of his Father's death, small-town blacksmith Gajeel Redfox finds himself reliving his broken past, that is, until a star falls out of the sky and deters his train of thought. A simple knock on the door is all it takes to expose Gajeel to the world around him and free him of his sorrows.


**( Gajevy Week – Jan. 30th )**

**Bonus Prompt 1:** Alternate Universe.**  
Series:** Fairy Tail, AU.  
**Type:** One-shot  
**Genre:** Romance, Fantasy.  
**Pairing:** Gajevy.  
**Rating:** T (because Levy is nude during her first appearance, though this isn't detailed. No NSFW content is involved in this story).

_Inspired by Stardust._

On yet another eve of his Father's death, small-town blacksmith Gajeel Redfox finds himself reliving his broken past, that is, until a _star _falls out of the sky and deters his train of thought. A simple knock on the door is all it takes to expose Gajeel to the world around him and free him of his sins.

* * *

_You light the skies up above me.  
A star so bright, you blind me, yeah.  
Don't close your eyes, don't fade away.  
Don't fade away, oh._

_Yeah you and me we can ride on a star  
if you stay with me girl, we can rule the world._

**_-Take That-_**

* * *

Shadows flickered against the run down walls of the dilapidated store, painting auburn walls pitch black. The sign, rusted with neglect, was now hung by two nails behind the counter, faded letters reading 'Black Steel'. Hidden within the shadows, observing the gentle flicker of a candles flame as it burned brightly, was the owner of this run-down establishment: Gajeel Redfox. Nursing the side of his face in his palm, he kept his eyes focused on the dancing flame, splotches of yellow parting the shadows behind it. Drops of wax fell like tears towards the half-filled dish, gathering together with its fallen companions to form a boiling pool. Placed sporadically around the candle were empty photo frames where his Father's picture used to be, the glass of each one fractured in his heated struggle to remove the photos.

Beyond the ruined windows, fragments of glass left behind from Gajeel's fight days before, the night sky gave birth to countless stars. Each one seemed brighter than the last, outshining even the brilliant crescent moon.

His Father used to love the moon, he'd spend hours telling Gajeel legends surrounding the night sky, the moon and, most importantly, the stars. Little did Gajeel know - that little boy who listened fervently to his Father's stories would end up loathing those very same stars, cursing their existence. Nights swallowed by darkness, they were his allies. He was at home in the shadows; after all, nobody could see him there.

As if struck by lightning Gajeel leapt from his place, rushing to the window ledge. His sudden movement cast a breeze through the room, the gust of wind created strong enough to snuff out the candle by his chair. Cast beneath shadow, he leaned through the broken window, crimson orbs taking in a brilliant flash of light. A star made its way through the night sky, tearing apart the darkness and leaving an unforgettable candescence in its wake. Rubbing at his eyes, Gajeel stared blankly out the window, finding the night sky suddenly devoid of life.

For the first time, he hated the darkness.

_Knock. Knock._

"Damn it," not quite prepared for guests, Gajeel was quick to relight the candles spread throughout his home before rushing to the door, "We're closed y'know, and it's midnight. What do you want?"

_Knock. Knock._

Unlocking the door, Gajeel pulled it open with an agitated sigh.

"I said—"

Scarlet pools widened at the sight before him. A tiny girl stood in front of his door, bruises adorning her skin, no clothes to call her own. The blood rushed to his cheeks and he removed his coat, wrapping it around the naked woman. Gajeel had never been one for chivalry, but something about this girl resonated with him. She seemed warm. Inviting.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I'm a little lost, can you help me?"

She didn't seem to have any public decency, opening the coat he'd loaned her to inspect the bruises on her stomach. He averted his gaze, grasping her shoulder with one hand.

"Oi, what're you doing? Get in here, what if somebody sees?"

* * *

Seated in the dimly lit room, Gajeel finally had the chance to get a good look at his unexpected guest. Her frame was really tiny, almost childlike, but there was a womanly essence to her. She was beautiful. She must've been his age, maybe a little younger. Blue waves cascaded over her cheeks, they were messy, as though she'd fallen from a great height, or she'd been assaulted by the wind. Her eyes were a warm shade of amber; they seemed to melt whenever he risked looking into them. One thing was for damn certain, he'd never seen a more attractive woman. Having clothed her, Gajeel felt a little less shady about staring at her so much. His shirt was massive on her, almost like a dress, the sleeves extending beyond her fingertips. She seemed to fidget with the material, tiny fingers plucking away at the opposing sleeve.

"So you don't know where you're from? Okay. Do you know _who_ you are at least?"

She turned to face him, folding both arms over her chest.

"My name is Levy," her eyes rolled back for a moment, as though searching for confirmation, "Yes. That's what I'm called. And you? What might I call you?"

Gajeel extended one hand towards her, prepared to engage in a friendly handshake. She stared at his palm for a moment, seemingly confused by his gesture. Letting out a laugh he took her hand, shaking it. Her fingers were noticeably tiny. _Warm._ It'd been a while since anybody had looked at him the way she did, as though he were a person. Not a monster. But he brought that upon himself, he'd chosen the darkness as his ally.

"The name's Gajeel, don't go forgettin' it, alright?"

She gave him a swift nod, squeezing his hand and shaking it again, this time of her own free will. He had no idea that the warmth of her hand would be permanently embedded into his palm.

* * *

The days with Levy by his side soon turned to weeks, those weeks transitioned into months. He'd promised to help uncover her past, a hypocritical notion really considering he spent so much time trying to bury his. She spent her days reading books, inquiring about Gajeel's work and his life in general, sometimes even attempting things from the novels she liked. Dancing, for instance. She'd come to like that. Having her there was motivational to the point Gajeel even made repairs to the shop, little by little, opening it to new people. He had a feeling the recurring customers only came to see _her_, though. She was greater than any sword he might make, and stronger than any armour, more radiant than any metal he could forge. To lose her memory and still smile like she did, it was breath-taking. With the steady flow of income, he'd even been able to buy her some clothes.

"What are you looking at, Gajeel? Did I get food on my face again?"

Unconsciously staring at her had become a thing now. Not that she seemed to mind. Her hands lifted self-consciously, wiping at her rose coloured cheeks.

"No, no. Sorry, Shrimp. I didn't mean to worry you."

Oh, right. He'd also taken to calling her Shrimp. Anything but Levy, it seemed. Somehow that felt too personal for him, he didn't want her to get the wrong idea. Despite how oblivious she was. Her eyes lowered once more to the book in her lap, slender digits flipping through the pages. He could see brief outlines of illustrations, she usually skipped past them. He couldn't be certain why she'd taken to reading like a fish to water, but it was definitely her calling. She'd gone through every book on his shelf, not that he read them himself. They were left behind by customers, or his _Father_.

Outside the newly repaired windows, sunlight painted the hillside in the distance. Its descent always mesmerised her, enough so that she tore her gaze free of the book she'd been reading, letting her eyes see beyond the fictional world. A kaleidoscope of oranges and reds took hold of the sky, summoning a smile to her features. It was instinctive for him to move to the window, he knew she'd follow. It was routine.

"Y'know… we can go outside if you'd like. To, uh, to see the sunset. I mean... since you like it so much."

Climbing out of her chair, Levy rushed towards him, grasping both of his hands within her own.

"Really? Can we?"

Tugging one hand free of hers, Gajeel placed it atop her head, fending off the urge to blush.

"Yeah, I don't know why I never asked you before. You always stare at the sky, it'd make sense to go outside and see it just once."

Levy seemed lost for a moment, her eyes becoming empty.

"I prefer the sky when it's dark," she responded finally, squeezing his fingers, "I'll grab my coat."

* * *

"Are you cold?"

Even though she shook her head he could see that her arms were visibly shaking. The tiny hairs there were standing up, the ends of her fingers pulled back into her palm. After all her excitement she'd forgotten to grab her coat, instead racing outside and up the hill with little consideration for her health.

"Everything about the sky fills me with warmth," she stated, "Maybe my parents are astrologists or something. I feel like I belong with the stars."

There was a strange pang deep within Gajeel's chest, though he couldn't quite pinpoint the reasoning behind it, he knew there was something familiar about her words. Even so, he refused to accept her denial, already sliding his arms free of his coat. Shuffling closer to her, he placed the material around her slender frame, her mini convulsions coming to a near halt instantly.

"You shouldn't lie, Shrimp. If you're cold just say so, I promised to take care of you."

"I wasn't," she responded somewhat defensively, tilting her head back to look at him, "But thank you. This reminds me of the first time we met, do you remember? You turned very red, I thought you might faint. I was worried but, at the same time, it made me smile. I thought 'this man seems interesting, I hope he'll be my friend' and now here we are. I guess wishes do come true."

He glanced away immediately, not wanting a repeat of that day. His efforts to chase the heat from his face went in vain, the blood running to his cheeks immediately.

"Yeah, yeah, it was just a shock seeing you at my door… you know… like _that. _Women don't usually walk around like that, it's, well, you know, inappropriate."

She moved closer to him, their arms touching. It took him a moment to realise she'd started shaking again. The streaks of orange had already been swallowed by the night sky, though the mist overhead obscured their view of the stars. For now.

"Gajeel," she threaded one arm beneath his, latching onto his sleeve with her fingers, "Why do you always look at the stars?"

It took every ounce of strength he had to look directly at her. Her eyes pulled him in, captivating him. He allowed himself to drown in her essence.

"Before he passed away… my Old Man would talk about the stars. He'd say that, every now and then, a star falls from the sky. If you're lucky enough to find it, then your wish will come true."

Something stirred behind Levy's eyes, her free hand lifting to her chest. He noticed her hand began to tremble, the colour fading on her cheeks. An unwelcomed silence washed over the pair, her eyes steadily lowering to where her hand sat against his arm.

"You're saying the stars fall out of the sky? Don't they get lonely? What if nobody ever found it? Do you think it would—"

"Don't worry about it, Shrimp," he shifted one hand to her head, capturing strands of blue hair between his fingers; "They're just stars. I don't think they feel anything."

She shook her head immediately, the pained expression befalling her countenance making his heart ache. She freed her arm from his and climbed to her feet, lifting her gaze to the night sky.

"You're wrong," she insisted, "They're probably frightened and all alone."

For a moment, Gajeel was certain her skin had absorbed the moonlight. She seemed to glow. No, it wasn't his imagination. She was definitely glowing.

"Oi, Shrimp."

No response. He stood from his place, approaching her with great caution. The last thing he wanted was to upset her. Setting one hand onto her shoulder he twisted her body to look at him, alarmed to see tears falling freely down her cheeks. When their eyes met this time he saw a flicker of sadness manifest within her dark orbs. It was painful to see.

"Gajeel… If you found a falling star… what would you wish for?"

Her question took him by surprise, the troubled blacksmith unsure how to answer. Tilting his head back, Gajeel thought over her question seriously, wanting to give her the best answer he could.

"Before I met you I would've asked for my Father's life back."

She inhaled a deep breath, attempting to steady her tears.

"Why only before you met me? Don't you miss him?"

His free hand lifted to the side of her face, the days he'd spent by her side seemed to flash behind his eyes. There was something he'd been meaning to ask her, things he needed to say. He'd known it all along, ever since she'd shown up at his door.

"When my Father died it cut me from the inside out. I thought I'd never step outside that door again, but here I am. With you. I know the feeling of loss, Shrimp. And there must be people out there who look through their window and wait for you to return. Even though I want to stay with you, if I found that fallen star, I would wish for your memory to return so that you can go back to the people who love you."

The way her skin illuminated now was abnormal; streaks of light shredded the darkness, a haze clouding his vision. Narrowing his eyes, Gajeel peered down at the tiny woman, the last piece finally falling into place.

"Gajeel…"

"It's you! You fell out of the sky that day!"

She was stunned by his revelation, yet she couldn't deny it. Both hands lifted to her chest, her eyes never once straying from his.

"Your wish came true," she realised, "I really did fall out of the sky. I woke up on this hill right here, I was scared and confused. I didn't know what to do so I stopped by the first house I could find. By the time I reached the door I had forgotten why I knocked in the first place. I just knew I didn't want to be alone."

"That's why you showed up at my house that day," he captured her hands within his own, "Levy you're the falling star mentioned in my Dad's stories!"

"Gajeel I-"

"How will you get back to the sky?"

Her countenance twisted painfully and her eyes ticked down to the floor, more tears forming. Shaking her head, Levy clenched his fingers tighter.

"I don't want to go," she sobbed, "I don't want to leave."

"Damn it Levy, don't say things like that."

She pulled away from him, setting off in a sprint over the hill. For someone so short she certainly moved fast. Irritated, not just by her protests, but by his emotional frame of mind, Gajeel went racing after her. It took him a short time to catch her, latching his fingers onto her wrist when he was close enough. Spinning her around to face him, the tears falling around her, he did the only thing he could.

He kissed her.

"Gajeel! What are—"

"When you say things like that," he cupped her face in his hands, "It gets harder to do the right thing and let you go."

He leaned down once more, pressing his lips to hers. He captured them fervently this time, the feelings he'd been suppressing finally bubbling to the surface. She placed both hands against his chest, his heart racing beneath her touch.

"Permission to change my wish?"

She smiled. Leaning up on her toes to accommodate his height, she moved her arms around his neck, locking her fingers together behind it.

"Permission granted."

* * *

_Well, there you have it. This is my first time participating in Gajevy Week; I'm thrilled to be a part of it. I don't know if I'll be posting anything for 'magic' tomorrow, it's not really a prompt that inspires me. Thank you for reading! Gajevy Week starts the 14th of Feb on Tumblr, look forward to seven days of Gajevy goodness. Thanks for reading! Reviews are always appreciated. _

_If anyone would like a link to the Gajevy prompts and dates from tumblr feel free to PM me! Thanks for reading. _


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